I’ll say right away that a pet’s diet must be composed not only of meat products, but also of vegetables and fruits, dairy products, and various cereals. In a word, the menu should be balanced. The health of pets directly depends on proper nutrition. Is it possible to give dogs bananas? The answer is clear: bananas, maybe; small dogs can be given a third of a banana once a week. Large breeds 1-2 bananas per week.
Man's true friends are always ready to feast on everything that catches their eye. Can dogs eat fruit, such as bananas? Of course. They are beneficial if given in moderation. But let's take a closer look at why you can give your dog a sweet banana.
Most dog owners are powerless in the face of the pleading look of a pet when it sees something tasty. Owners who are responsible and attentive to their pet's food will definitely ask themselves whether it is possible to give nutritious bananas to a puppy or an adult pet, and whether it is safe for their health and well-being.
At what age can you
A dog's diet should not consist only of meat. Fruits and berries, including bananas, contain many nutrients necessary for it. Therefore, starting from puppyhood, they are gradually introduced into the menu.
There is no age limit for dogs to eat bananas. You can even give ripe fruit to puppies, starting at the age of 1.5-2 months. It is better to accustom an animal to treats from childhood, in small portions. Then you will be sure that an adult dog will definitely not receive an overdose and will not develop an allergy.
On a note! A banana can be used as a reward for a well-executed command during training or during a joyful meeting with the owner.
Proper feeding: advice from veterinarians
If the owner doubts whether a Labrador, bulldog or beloved mongrel can have a banana, he should consult with a veterinarian. In any case, the following precautions must be observed when feeding:
- do not exceed the permissible portion;
- give only high-quality and fresh fruits;
- Avoid natural and dried bananas if there are any signs of gastrointestinal distress or allergies.
If you follow these rules and dog feeding tips, your dog will benefit from a treat, be it a Yorkie, Dachshund or Chinese Crested.
In order for your beloved dog, Corso or Pug, to always feel good on a banana diet, the diet must be balanced. Protein makes up the bulk of a proper diet. Foods rich in carbohydrates can be given in limited quantities and not every day, so as not to provoke the development of serious diseases.
Benefits of bananas for dogs
Banana contains a large amount of useful vitamins B, A, C, microelements such as potassium, sodium and others. Bananas also contain inulin. This is a natural polysaccharide that has no synthetic analogues. Its use is of great importance for a dog.
Thus, the benefits of bananas for dogs are as follows:
| Potassium | Improves heart function, normalizes rhythm, Stabilizes water balance in the body, Regulates the metabolic process in the body and the acid-base balance in the blood. |
| Vitamin C | Strengthens the animal's immunity, protects against bacteria and viruses, participates in hematopoiesis and promotes rapid healing of wounds. |
| Vitamin B6 | Improves brain function, the dog reacts better and follows commands, it has a good memory, and its mood improves. |
| Inulin | Once in the intestines, it has a positive effect on metabolism, acts as a prebiotic, and promotes the growth of microflora. |
| Vitamin A | Saturates hair follicles, improves tissue regeneration, the animal's coat becomes softer and silkier. |
| Pectin | Normalizes cholesterol levels in the blood, normalizes intestinal microflora. |
On a note! There are only 96 kcal per 100 g of product. This is important for dogs that lead a sedentary lifestyle. However, to avoid obesity, you should monitor the amount of treats you eat.
Peel
The peel must be cleaned. Firstly, it is not as tasty as the fruit itself, and after trying the peel first, the dog may refuse to eat the banana. And secondly, the peel contains a large amount of fiber, an excess of which can negatively affect the functioning of the animal’s gastrointestinal tract.
The peel is difficult to digest and can cause intestinal obstruction in the animal. And fruits are often treated with chemicals so that they can be stored longer. And getting them into the dog’s stomach is completely undesirable.
How much and how to give banana to a dog
To prevent an overdose or an allergic reaction, you need to know how much banana you can give your dog at one time:
- for puppies and small breeds (for example, Spitz, York) - no more than 1-2 pieces measuring 2-3 cm;
- for dogs of medium breeds (toy terrier, Jack Russell terrier, dachshund and others) - 0.5 bananas at a time;
- large animals (for example, Labrador, diver, Caucasian breed, mastiff) - from 1 to 2 bananas at a time.
On a note! Before eating bananas for the first time, you should consult your veterinarian.
Veterinarian advice
The basic rules for feeding a pet, recommended by veterinarians, are as follows:
- give a banana no more often than 2 times every 7 days;
- follow the norm for each breed, start feeding bananas with small portions;
- You can produce slightly unripe and ripe fruits with a yellow color. But green or overripe bananas can cause gastrointestinal tract problems in a dog’s body;
- You can give bananas to dogs raw, cut into small portions, or in the form of puree with the addition of apples or cottage cheese;
- It is better to give a banana after eating the main meal, as a treat;
- Pregnant and lactating dogs can also be given banana in the amount prescribed for its breed.
Important! Banana peels should not be given to dogs! Therefore, the fruit must first be cleared of it. The peel contains a lot of fiber, which causes stomach upset in the animal.
If your pet does not want to eat banana as a separate product, then it can be added to food, porridge or cottage cheese.
Remember that you should not give bananas to your dog if they:
- fried;
- dried;
- green;
- overripe;
- in peel;
- rotten, with traces of fermentation.
Feeding rules
Before giving the fruit to an animal, it must be cleaned. Large dogs may eat the peel, which can cause indigestion. You can pamper your pet between feedings; there should be at least an hour left until the next meal. You can give a treat immediately after a meal, as a dessert.
Attention! You should not give your pet more than one banana per day. Also, under no circumstances should you replace a full meat meal with fruit, because a dog is a carnivore, not a herbivore.
Overdose
Eating an excess amount of banana can lead to undesirable consequences for your pet:
- the appearance of constipation - large portions of the fruit are poorly digested in the body;
- vomiting, diarrhea or poisoning due to indigestibility of the fruit;
- bloating, flatulence;
- excessive excitement or, on the contrary, lethargy, apathy with individual intolerance to bananas.
Important! Do not give your dog milk or dairy products and a banana at the same time.
Other fruits
All dogs are divided into two categories: those who adore bananas, or those who categorically refuse it. If your puppy is one of the latter, you can choose other healthy fruits for him:
Green apple. Another irreplaceable source of vitamin C. An apple, like a banana, improves digestion, although it does not need to be peeled. Please note that, despite the apple-pear combination being familiar to humans, it is not advisable to give a pear to dogs.
Papaya. Harmless sweets (if the puppy does not have diabetes). It will have to be prepared: cleaned and removed seeds. By the way, veterinary stores even have special vitamin supplements with papaya extract.
Melons. In general, they are useless for dogs, but they are an excellent thirst quencher.
Persimmon. Many animals like it, but in large quantities it causes stomach upsets. You can give it a little at a time, removing the seeds.
Grapes, peaches, pomegranates and avocados are strictly prohibited for dogs, especially puppies. You should not give citrus fruits - but here everything is individual.
What to do if your dog has eaten too many bananas
It happens that the owner did not keep an eye on his pet and the dog ate a large number of bananas. If there are all signs of an overdose, then in this case it is necessary to take urgent measures to help the animal:
- Rinse the stomach with an aqueous solution of manganese or with the addition of soda and salt (proportion: 1 teaspoon of soda and salt per 250 ml of water).
- Make the dog eat activated charcoal (1 tablet per 1 kg of animal weight) and drink plenty of water.
- Contact a veterinary clinic for advice.
Some dogs may have an allergic reaction to banana. This is explained by the peculiarity of the body. An allergy manifests itself after eating a banana with the following symptoms:
- swelling of the eyes, muzzle, ears;
- redness of the eyes, abdomen;
- the appearance of rashes, blisters, or pimples on some areas of the skin or throughout the body;
- wool falls out in places;
- impaired breathing, shortness of breath;
- the skin begins to peel off.
If such symptoms are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment.
Allergy symptoms
The most common symptoms of food allergies in spaniels, terriers and other dogs are:
- skin itching;
- conjunctivitis;
- sneezing;
- teary eyes.
In some cases, these symptoms may be accompanied by difficulty breathing.
Attention! One of the most common allergy symptoms in dogs is interdigital dermatitis, which causes severe itching of the paw pads. An antihistamine should be given to relieve symptoms.
Allergies in animals are common if they eat a lot of bananas.
How to replace banana
If the dog still doesn’t like the banana, but the animal’s body needs to be replenished with vitamins, then give it other fruits. It can be:
- apples, persimmons or pears are hypoallergenic fruits that do not cause an allergic reaction. You can choose any variety to suit your pet’s taste;
- melon – small pieces of juicy pulp should please the dog;
- plums - give slightly unripe fruits, since overripe plums are contraindicated for a dog;
- berries: gooseberries, blueberries, strawberries and others.
To summarize, I would like to repeat that bananas can be given to dogs. In small quantities, the fruit will not cause harm, but on the contrary, it will saturate the body with beneficial vitamins and minerals. Follow the dosage so that your dog does not develop allergies or side effects after taking the fruit.
Content
1. At what age can dogs have bananas? 2. How to feed the puppy? 3. Possibility of allergies
A domestic dog has unlimited trust in its owners. For this reason, it is extremely important to understand for yourself what you can and absolutely cannot give to your pet. And the question often arises about whether a dog can have bananas, as well as other fruits: in what form and quantity, from what age?
Banana
is a healthy fruit that contains a large amount of fiber, carbohydrates and vitamins. As a result, this product is not only possible, but rather even necessary to be included in the diet of not only adult dogs, but also puppies. But there are certain contraindications, which will be discussed below.
In what form, can it be added to food?
For a dog, it is better to buy unripe fruits with greenish skin that do not cause fermentation in the intestines, unlike overripe ones.
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For purebred individuals, it is enough to feed several small pieces twice a week. Dog owners add fruit slices to porridge, cottage cheese, or use them raw as a reward during training.
If it gets bad
Excessive inclusion of bananas in your dog's diet can lead to constipation. These fruits themselves are not toxic and cannot harm the dog’s body, but they are poorly digested and absorbed. Especially if consumed in large quantities. Therefore, it is important to give them to your pet only as a treat, in moderation.
If the animal becomes unexpectedly lethargic, or, on the contrary, hyperexcited, it periodically vomits - this may turn out to be an individual intolerance, or the harmful substances that have accumulated in the banana have caused food poisoning.
In this case, you need to rinse the stomach by giving the animal a weak solution of potassium permanganate or a soda-salt solution (a teaspoon per glass of warm water). Afterwards, you need to provide access to drink, give activated charcoal and promptly show it to the veterinarian.
If the animal begins to suffer from atypical constipation or, on the contrary, diarrhea, gas formation, this means that the fruit is simply not suitable for your pet or that the portion of the treat was too much. You just need to remove banana from your diet.
If your pet has runny eyes, a reddened nose and paw tips, and rashes in the form of flat blisters and pimples appear on the body, pieces of flaky skin are visible and hair falls out - it is possible that your pet is allergic to bananas.
Only a veterinarian can say for sure about this and prescribe a treatment regimen. Until the cause of the allergy is finally determined, you need to return to your usual diet, do not give anything new and do not allow the dog to scratch the rash.
You should not delay your visit to the veterinarian: in severe forms of allergies, breathing problems and even death are possible.
Health problems
If your puppy is being treated for a health problem, be sure to consult with your veterinarian before feeding him bananas. Diseases such as obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, heart problems, allergies and intestinal problems often require a strictly controlled diet as part of their treatment.
Thus, feeding your dog banana may make his condition worse. Your veterinarian knows their disease and will be able to tell you if it is safe to give your puppy bananas, how much and when.
Can Spitz eat bananas: adults, puppies?
The product belongs to the list of permitted fruits for representatives of the breed.
Banana nutrition is useful for an adult dog and a puppy. Puppies are introduced to plant foods from 2-3 months. The fruit serves as a natural source of potassium and other beneficial microelements that have a beneficial effect on the animal’s body. The first test is monitored for a possible allergic reaction; if the dog does not show signs of allergies or intestinal upset, then the fruit treat is safely added to the menu.
Pregnant and lactating
Pregnant dogs can be given this sweet fruit in doses not exceeding normal ones. For a nursing bitch, banana can play a good role as a product that supports her immunity after childbirth.
Since meat cannot be given to a bitch for the first 10 days after giving birth, but the animal loves bananas, it is of course possible to give it, within reasonable limits.
